The Kharkiv Human Rights Protection Group works to help people whose rights have been violated and investigates cases involving such abuse, as well as assessing the overall human rights situation in Ukraine. The Group also seeks to develop awareness of human rights issues through public events and its various publications

Radio Svoboda reports an attack on Ihor Mashkevych, a Dnipropetrovsk activist who has also been helping collect humanitarian aid for the EuroMaidan in Kyiv. According to Olha Mashkevych, his mother, and lawyer, Oleh was attacked by several assailants in a food shop at night. He was hit a number of times on the head with a pipe and lost consciousness. While he lay bleeding, his assailants fled.

The police were called, she says, but didn’t come. The 23-year-old is now in hospital with concussion. He needed 16 stitches.

The police have now formally initiated a criminal investigation under Article 125 of the Criminal Code – deliberately inflicting injuries. His mother says she will be seeking to have the attack reclassified as hooliganism (Article 294) since the sentence is harsher.